Choark actually stopped what ever he was saying mid sentence, in the middle of the word and Stephan got his full undivided attention. The young man was very impressed by the overall loudness Stephan had managed to get with that shout, impressed and stunned.

Stephan had probably do whatever it is soon or the Barbarian Ninja will start clapping and cheering for one of the loudest out bursts he had ever witnessed.

In fact, he blinked several times at the sight before him. There was Stephan, purposefully making a public spectacle out of himself. The same man who could barely stand two or three people talking to him at once.

...what in the world is he doing? Midoku wondered. He was about to get the answer, as Stephan coughed and started to speak.

"Ten years ago, I didn't care about anyone or anything, other than myself. I was pissed at my family, at the Gods, at the world, even at life itself. And..."

He turned, looking and meeting the blue mage's gaze.

"...then I met someone else who was pissed at the world. Who, like me, had seen the worst sh#$ that life had to offer. I remember thinking how weak the bloke was then, how he'd always give into the things I said, afraid of the results if he dared say his own bloody opinion. I also remember him thinking of himself as a monster, just because he looked differently from 'normal' people. But over the years, I've seen him become much more than that. He knows that he's just as important as any other bastard in the world, and that he shouldn't be afraid to speak his mind. And he knows that no matter what he looks like or what people think of it, he never has or ever wil be a godsdamn monster.

And because of him... I've changed as well. When my anger blinded my logic, he was there to shove it right back in my face. For every reason I had to despise every f#$king about life, he could fine one reason not to. If it wasn't for him, I never would have stopped hating everything. I never would have confronted and made peace with my family. I would have..."

Stephan stopped a second, the people closest to the stage hearing the faintest of a 'sniffle' coming from his nose.

"...I would have been the monster he always feared he truly was."

Stephan coughed, reaching into his pocket and quickly skimming over the crumpled paper from earlier, before replacing it in his pocket.

"When I was a child, my father died defending our home in Baron. There was a song my mother would sing to herself, nonstop, day in and day out after he died. I hated her for a long time, and the bloody song as well. I couldn't understand how the f#@k she sang it for so damn long, as if to ignore how angry and sad I felt, as if her pain were much worse than mine."

Stephan stopped again, once again another, slightly more audible "sniffle" sneaking out as he thought of what had almost happened to the one he loved.

"But recently, I nearly had the same sh#$ happen to me. I thought the one person who meant more to me than anything in the world... had been taken away from me. It felt like I was hollow inside, as if nothing f#@king mattered anymore. I had nothing left to care about.

And now I realize... that's how my mother must have felt all those years ago. Losing someone you gave your heart and soul to for so long, only to have them gone. I thought she didn't care about me anymore... but now... I know she was too hurt without my father to see anything else, just like I was without my love.

When he was gone, the only thing I could think of, was the one thing I could never seem to do for him. All he ever wanted me to do, was something I thought I couldn't. Because a 'real man' doesn't talk about things like caring about someone or sh#$ like that. All he asked, was that I have courage to tell him anywhere, anytime I wanted to, that I loved him."

Stephan nodded to Max, and the mysterious musician began to play. It was a soft, almost ethereal melody, like someone thinking of times long past.

"Midoku... you mean the world to me. And it's about f#$king time I had the balls to show you, no matter what. If anyone thinks less of me for doing this, they can kiss my bloody ass."

Stephan's mouth corners began to rise, as a face he was once only willing to express in private was there for public viewing, as he smiled to the blue mage.

This song is for you, love."

As Stephan took a step back, taking a deep breath, he recalled the times of his childhood for a moment. In her younger days, his mother had been one of the better singers at their town's church. Often she tried to teach him and Daniel the finer points of said vocal ability... usually with ear piercing results. If there was ever a time for any kind of latent musical ablity to come forth, it was definitely now. He opened his mouth and began to do something he never thought he'd ever do.

He began to sing.

I'm so tired of being here...Without the one I... hold so dear...And then he went away... gone from my sweet embrace...Yet his memory lingers here... and it won't leave me alone...These wounds won't seem to heal... this pain is just too real...There's just too much that time... cannot erase...

When you cried I'd... wipe away all of your tears...When you screamed I'd... fight away all of your fears...And I've held your... hand though all of these years...But you still... have...

...all of me...

Max continued to play his entrancing melody, as Stephan paused and got ready for the rest of the song. Midoku sat in complete amazement... wondering if he was really seeing and hearing this, or if it was simply a dream...

(OOC: What a wonderful song. Never heard of it before but that was really nice. Thumbs up indeed! )

There were probably a few grown men there struggling to keep a straight face while the emotion of the song filled every ounce of there body and a few probably succeeded. However for Choark the task would of been impossible, his truthful face always easily showing his emotions, had he even tried to keep his emotions in. Choark saw no reason to ever hide his emotions, maybe it was just because of the way he is, or because he spent a lot of his life out in the wild.

So right now the Barbarian's Ninja had lost his smile and his face was a picture of calmness and perhaps even sadness.

His lack of understanding of the emotions at work in this song meant he couldn't truly appreciate it, however as the song continued he remembered his sister Pia and him as children playing together in the mountains of Gre'Par'th and his "Gramp's". Of how he had to leave her and Gramps behind and how much he had missed them the first few years of exile. Choark couldn't remember very well but he thinks it was during this time he stopped being the crybaby his sister always taunted him about.

His hand reached down to the pouch he always carried, something Pia had made for him all those years ago and something he could never lose, though he hadn't understood why he held it so highly.

He also remembered his times with Pig, when the Wolf-Pig protected him and stood over him. Times when the two shared there meals together outside under the sky and how much the "old man" meant to Cho.

Choark stood there, quiet, as if in a trance... This wasn't the type of song he was used too and he certainly wasn't used to the emotions flooding him now.

Stephan had, unwittingly, proved a very old saying. Music does indeed soothe the savage beast, though with Choark it could only last as long as the song did.

Max was a professional. When he started a song, he damn well finished it. No missed notes unless it would add to the performance, and no real screwups. His face would show no emotion whatsoever.

But on the inside, things were different.

"wait a minute. He's a guy...he's a guy...oh. One of these. Oh...oh...errr...oh. yeah."

Max was not exactly a homophobe. For him, his aversion came from the more technical aspect of things. Others had sort of grinned at his aversion...and say that his human half was acting up...but to him, it was something weird, rarely seen...and...weird.

He continued playing...it could be worse. The two could make a good song anyway...

There were many unusual things Midoku had seen in his life, himself aside. Multiple forms of undead, beings from other dimensions, the aftermath of Hakaril's magical research, even the Gods themselves.

What he was seeing and hearing right now, his mind refused to believe.

"I must be dreaming... right? You accidentally gave me some of that alcoholic beverage, right Choark?" Midoku asked, continuing to listen and watch what his mind kept saying was impossible.

It was weird... the feeling Stephan had right now. When the song had first started, it was all he could do to keep his voice from cracking. All those eyes watching him, waiting for him to f#$k up and make a further a$$ out of himself.

But as the haunting melody from Max continued, a strange calmness took hold. His only thoughts were the song, the memories said song conjured up in his mind, and the pair of green eyes he was staring into across the room.

You used to captivate me...By your... resonating lightBut now i'm bound... by the life you left behind...Your face it haunts... my once pleasant dreams...Your voice it chased away... all the sanity in me...

He remembered all those night he sat alone in a corner, curled up with his knees drawn to his chest as they grew damp with tears. Wondering how he could have lost him, why he couldn't do anything to stop it from happening, when he thought Midoku had been taken from the world...

...Many years ago, the night he ran away from home, a sight that had once been a memory of hatred, now was a memory of empathy. His mother, sitting in the same position in a dark corner, muttering his father's name between sobs.

These wounds won't seem to heal...This pain is just too real...There's just too much that time cannot erase...

When you cried I'd... wipe away all of your tears...When you'd scream I'd... fight away all of your fears...And i've held your... hand through all of these years...But you still... have...

...all of me...

Stephan felt a lump starting to form in his throat, as the next set of lyrics came to mind. He looked over that familiar blue face, mane of blood-red hair, trying hard not to choke as he remembered his feelings.

i've tried so hard to tell... myself... that you're gone...

Stephan closed his eyes tight, a slight frown on his face.

And though... you're still with me...

Midoku's jaw dropped, yet again seeing something he thought would never happen.

Stephan had a tear coming down his cheek.

...I've been alone... all along...

Max continued, playing a short solo before the final chorus. Stephan raised a hand to wipe at his cheek, looking down at the damp finger with a slightly surprised look on his face. He blinked a few times, taking a deep breath to calm himself as he began the final chorus of the song.

When you cried I'd... wipe away all of your tears...When you'd scream I'd.... fight away all of your fears...And i've held your... hand through all of these years...But you still... have...

...all of me...

Max played out the end of his tune, as Stephan glanced around the crowd. Specifically, of course, for a certain red headed mage.

Said mage was looking back, and appeared to be moved as much by the music as the swordmage had been. For he now had a trail of tears from his eyes, as he smiled back at Stephan.

Long ago, when they had confessed their feelings for one another, Stephan had promised Midoku something. Nothing, short of the Gods themselves, would stop him from anything for the one he loved. Today had proven how much that meant, and how much he meant, to the swordmage.

The first thing he heard after the song was "...Choark... please tell me I am not dreaming..." and as Choark wasn't a hundred percent sure at this moment he did the one thing he knew that would check if he was awake.

He punched himself in the face.

Knocking himself backwards and crashing to the floor his face burned from the pain and his fist throbbed. From the floor he gave a thumbs up to Midoku with a grin and said.

"Yep. We're awake!" Then the barbarian put his head down for a little bit, least till his ears stopped ringing.

Midoku sighed at Choark, though he couldn't help smiling a bit at the absurdity he had just witnessed, as he dried his face with a robed arm.

Stephan, meanwhile, seemed to have come back down from singsong land, and appeared very nervous at all the eyes still watching him. Having the balls to do this was one thing. After the fact, he was quick to get the hell off the stage, and start toward Midoku and Choark.

Dia stood at the bar with a blank expression on her face, paused in the middle of a swipe of the countertop in front of her.

She didn't like Stephan. He was a jerk, hotheaded, closeminded, and he taught Robert new profanities that she would prefer the boy not to know. Midoku seemed like an alright person...understanding, kind, quiet-spoken. She could never understand how in the world the two of them could be a couple...

Until, perhaps, now.

...

Well, no. She still didn't understand how they could be together. But it did appear that they were very much in love, however that was possible.

How strange, she thought to herself, resuming her cleaning of the barcounter. For a second, she indulged in a wistful little smile...before her attention was called back into reality by the demands of her patrons.

Stephan had done it. He had fought demons, monsters, sociopaths, psychotics, even the darkest part of his own soul. Yet what he had just done at that moment, seemed more horrifying to him that anything he had faced. Doing the most 'unmanly' of things in front of a group of people.

...and surprisingly, it seemed most didn't really care. Aside from a heckler or two, and one person's choice use of the f word, whom Stephan would note to himself to 'talk' with later. He had finally overcome one of his biggest fears.

...and now he had a second one to do.

He got about halfway to Choark and Midoku when his stomach started to twist itself into knots, sweating a bit. Singing and proving to Midoku how much he cared was one thing. But the second thing... good Gods that was huge.

He abruptly made a detour toward the bar, plopping down on a bar stool. He removed his gauntlets, placing them on the bartop as he started rubbing his hands nervously. There was no way he could do it while flipping out like this... he needed something.

"...Dia, you got anything to calm a bloke the f#$k down...?" Stephan grunted to her.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Midoku noted the sudden detour, curious why Stephan had decided at the last moment to sit alone. He mentally shrugged to himself, figuring the swordmage wanted to calm down from his 'ordeal' of putting his image on the line for a song. Still, he wanted to go over and comfort him, make sure he knew that this was one of the sweetest things Stephan had ever done for him.

...but for the moment, he was occupied by another matter.

"...Choark? Are you sure you're alright?" Midoku asked, noticing the red palmslap had yet to fade from the barbarian's face. He hoped Choark had not caused himself any kind of head injury.

"Two more pints please!" Was Choarks responce to the question. The young man had forgotten one important thing, and that was to pull the punch's strength somewhat. As it was Choark was now enjoying the dancing stars in front of his eyes and he 'sat' on the floor.

Two more pints Choark got, and a third one was set down in front of Stephan. "There you go. That was...some pretty good singing," Dia ventured. "That's a song from Baron, huh? Don't think I've heard it before."

Stephan took the glass, thanking Dia and quickly taking a swig from it.

"I guess so... she said something once about it being an old song that wiv... spouses would sing for someone they lost in war." he told her, taking another drink from the glass, "Just seemed right I guess..."

As he sat drinking, there was something on his mind. And if anyone could give him an honest, no bullsh#$ opinion about it, it was probably Dia.

"So... what did you think of... the thing." Stephan asked, hesitant to say the word singing for some reason.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

With another sigh, Midoku got down from his chair, making an attempt to help Choark back off the floor.

Many a time had he awoken the morning after partaking it, only to kick himself several dozen times over his actions. To say he was a light drinker was putting it... lightly.

But in this case, he was desperate. Something was holding him back from doing 'it'. 'It' was something he thought would seem like a breeze compared to the ballad of sappyness from earlier. But right now, 'it' felt three times as difficult. The singing, while embarrasing as f#$k, wasn't anything life altering. 'It' however...

With a heavy sigh, and a brief pause as he looked down at the glass, Stephan raised it and drank down the contents.

"So." Max asked, "We certain that we can get your little contingent up here."

Rick shrugged, "If I'm going to do jobs around here, I'd feel better having people around I could trust. Marcus is a definite, Merrivic's a must...he needs the experience...to be somewhere where people..." Rick brought his left hand back up, and made a hand motion...a palm based magic attack?

Max nodded, "Right, I understand."

Rick continued, "And Frankie's good in a pinch. Give him a test tube and a bunch of odd shit and he's unstoppable"

Well what do you know? Right then, one more person came through the door. This time, it was a woman of the succubus race. Kilisha Sorinia was her name. Her skin was of a pale blue color, her eyes were dark green, and her straight, shoulder length hair was black. Her lips were also black. Finally, at the ends of her fingers and toes existed some mean looking claws... and they were black too. For clothing, she wore a simple pair of grey trousers, a grey tunic, and a pair of brown leather sandals. A strange appearance? Possibly. But she made it look drop dead sexy.

As she came in, the succubus was completely unaware that this was the very day of the inn's reopening. She had simply been passing through Doma City and decided on this as the place to stay for the night.

It was really weird. One moment, Stephan thought he could remember something like a liquid going down his throat. Right now, he wasn't even sure where he was sitting, but it sure was shakey. In fact, everything around seemed to be hazy... at least he thought so, everything seemed so... out there.

Then he noticed Dia, and realized that obviously, she wanted to hear whatever was on his mind. I mean, who wouldn't right? It's not like anyone else was nearby... except all those fuzzy shapes moving around them.

"'They' say a lot of things, Stephan," Dia went on matter-of-factly, as if she didn't notice his drunkenness, or the large red spot on his forehead. "You just have to know when to ignore them and do your own thing."

Of course, being as wasted as he was, he may or may not listen, and probably wouldn't remember anything when he sobered up. But hey, it didn't hurt to humor him.

Now, this wasn't the first time Stephan had been told such advice. Many a time had Daniel, his mother, Midoku, Aya, Hakaril, Jazz... hell pretty much a majority of Doma told him he needed to lighten up and ignore people. But, today something was different.

Maybe, it was because Dia was the one telling him, a fellow merc he had to admit he admired.

Maybe, it was because today, he had confronted one of his biggest fears, proving to himself how strongly he felt.

Maybe, it was because of 'it'.

...or it was the healthy dosage of fusionare coursing through his veins.

Regardless, Stephan looked right at Dia, blinking several times.... and promptly faceplanting into the bar again. He sat up with a fresh red mark on his forehead, hiccing up slightly before he begain to speak.

"Y..yknow Di..Dia... you're ab...so...bloodylutely ri..right. I m..mean, I dun take sh...shaet from aneebodie ash it is... an... why sh..should I fer dat? If I wanna be awl huggin and shaet, dey can just k...k...go fack demselves..."

He then hiccuped a sec, before focusing (somewhat) on Dia again, giving her genuine smile.

This situation, Dia mused, was all of several kinds of wrong. Now granted, between being a mercenary and a barkeep, she was used to wrong situations...but they tended to not involve normally hotheaded gay men telling her they would date her if she were a man.

At that precise moment, as people were being broken and demons attempted to civilly approach people, the Moogle the Mage fell out of the JD and engaged in a quick tussle that was, naturally, comically obscured by a large dust cloud, which remained undamaged save for the occasional fist or the random curse word.

It was quite clear that Astrynax did not care about Kilisha at this point, as his hands were full of dirt and Moogle.